The present invention relates to a cartridge and a cassette of a spooled photosensitive material such as a sheet or film having a layer of a chemical composition sensitive to actinic radiation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cartridge and a cassette of a spooled photosensitive material, which are designed to be loaded in imaging devices such as printers, copiers and cameras. Either of the cartridge and the cassette includes a spooled photosensitive material and a leader sheet secured to the leading end of the spooled photosensitive material. The leader is disposed around the web of the photosensitive material to form a tubular enclosure which is light-tightly connected to and mechanically held by the spool.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 63-298346 discloses a spooled photosensitive microcapsule medium enclosed light-tightly in a container-type cassette case. The cassette case rotatably holds both a feed spool and a take-up spool. The photosensitive medium spooled on the feed spool is exposed to light, and thereafter, is wound onto the take-up spool. The cassette case has an inlet and an outlet through which the medium is drawn out of and taken into the cassette case, respectively.
Cartridges of spooled microcapsule media are also known in the art. Japanese Patent Kokai 64-63962 discloses a cartridge of a rolled microcapsule medium received in a light-tight container. The medium is taken out of the case through an outlet in a similar manner as it is in the aforementioned publication.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,695 discloses a cartridge which encases a light-sensitive microcapsule recording medium. The cartridge is composed of a water-soluble material and has a light-shielding property. This cartridge is also of a container type and thus has an outlet for the medium.
One of the drawbacks of any of the above-mentioned container-types of cassette or cartridge is that since the outlet for the medium is designed to be very narrow to maintain the light tightness, the medium is rubbed against the cassette or cartridge when drawn out of the container. This can result in damage to the photosensitive medium such as accidental rupture of the microcapsules.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,362 discloses a container-type cartridge which avoids the above-mentioned problem by employing an operable lid for opening and closing the outlet. However, a container-type case is still costly as a disposable cassette or cartridge case, and necessitates in imaging devices a relatively large space which can accommodate the bulky container-type case.